No Average Joe
This time last year, Joe Hachem was just another online player who dared to dream of cracking poker’s big time. Twelve months later, everything has changed – except Joe. Despite the fame and fortune that has befallen him, the rigorous travel schedule from his beloved homeland of Australia to America, and his preparations to defend the WSOP World Champion, Hachem insists that he’s just an ‘average Joe’.
Gambling.com Magazine was lucky enough to catch the charismatic Australian on the morning of his 40th birthday to discuss the upcoming WSOP, the importance of family in his successes, and his dreams of creating a Hachem poker dynasty.
Happy 40th birthday, Joe! Did you crack out the champagne in true Monte Carlo style?
No, I’m kind of boring. I just had drinks with my wife last night.
Is the ‘Big 4-0’, a milestone for you?
I never thought I would treat it as a big milestone, but it kind of creeps up on you. However, I woke up this morning and I looked and felt the same, which kind of helped me feel better.
When did you first fall in love with poker?
My earliest memories are watching my parents and extended family play poker during the holidays. All the kids would sit around waiting, because the winner would always give the profits to the kids. We started playing card games early and I loved it. We picked up poker in our teens and started involving all our cousins and brothers in little games on the side. I loved the challenge.How did you then move towards playing the game more seriously?
Obviously, I had school, university, and part-time jobs to deal with, but I would still get together with friends once a week and play. As I got a little bit older, I got involved in some bigger poker games, and we’d be taken to the cleaners by these old guys who would skin us alive. Eventually I found out why I was losing and they were winning – they were better than me (laughs). I decided then that I wasn’t going to play again unless I could improve my game and beat them. Truly, I’m so competitive, it’s disgusting. I’m very gracious whether I win or lose, but in the heat of the moment, I’m so competitive; I want to win in everything. As such, I decided to work out a strategy of the game and how to beat them, and lo and behold, eventually I started beating them. You must remember that we were playing a different form of poker then called Manila – a popular game in Australia – which is basically the second worst game on the planet.
When did you make the leap to Hold’em?
I discovered Hold’em about ten years ago. I had just finished a game of Manila, and was thoroughly fed up with the attitude of old guys because they were just miserable – no young guys played it back then. I thought, “Bugger you! I’m out of here, I’m not going to play with you guys ever again.” On my way out, I walked past a Hold’em table, and having seen Rounders, I was somewhat familiar with the game. I walked over to the supervisor of the table and asked him how to play. He simply replied, “If you’ve got any two picture cards, play”. I thought it sounded easy, so I sat down and I proceeded to bad beat everybody on the table. I was winning by calling to the river every hand, and managed to put the whole table on tilt.
Was your initial success was ‘beginner’s luck’ or innate talent?
After that initial stage, I didn’t really understand the game, but I kept on winning. Eventually, I worked out that it was because I was fearless – my aggression helped me get through. Sure I had losing sessions, but overall I was winning not because of skill, but through pure aggression.
How confident were you goin into the 2005 World Series of Poker?
From November 2004 to January 2005, I had the worst run. I had three losing months, and was on the biggest tilt rush of my life. During November, I lost ten lots of aces against kings for huge amounts of money. At the end of January, after playing the Aussie Millions and performing badly, I decided that I was either going to get myself out of this rut or I was going to have a break. To that end, I punished myself by spending the entire month of February in the smallest cash games at PokerStars.com – $2/$4 NL. The ploy paid off as I had 28 winning days, and my biggest winning month ever. The next six months was also a record time for me – I was just hammering it. My game improved so much, and I was focused; I wasn’t tilting. So, I actually went into the World Series at the peak of my game.
When I got to Vegas, I won in every cash session I played. I also played one lead-up tournament and made the final table. However, when I walked in the first day of the WSOP main event and saw 2,000 people, I was crapping myself. I thought, “I don’t care how good I am, this is ridiculous!”
Was that the first time you’d been to Vegas?
Yeah! I knew how many people were going to be there, but you can’t believe it when you actually physically see it for the first time. Further adding to the ‘wow factor’, was that my table was the first as you entered the room, so I was forced to look at absolutely everybody. I remember gazing around and thinking to myself, “Can I get my $10,000 back?” In my mind I thought simply, “Just shut up. Sit down. All you have to worry about is your table. Don’t even look anywhere else.” That helped me a lot.
How was the response to your win in Australia?
Mate, it was absolutely crazy. Even in Vegas, I could feel the energy coming from Australia, because by this stage everybody knew about it, and theywere all following me online. When I got back home, there was a massive press conference at the airport. I thought that there was only going to be a few cameras, maybe a couple reporters, but there were about thirty or forty reporters from every TV and radio station – it was just so overwhelming.
Can you recall any funny/kooky incidents during the media frenzy?
Right after the win I appeared on the Jay Leno Show, which has been my favourite media appearance so far. We just had such a good time, and he’s a great guy.
How has your life changed since that win?
As far as my home life goes, nothing’s changed. My priorities are still the same, and what made me happy before, makes me happy today. But in terms of travelling and media attention, my head hasn’t stopped spinning.
What has being the World Champion meant you?
I’ve tried from the start to be a good champion, and a good ambassador for poker. I really want to help lift the image of the game, so the average person who is not a poker fan stops looking at poker as a degenerate’s game. It’s a sport, and tournament poker should be internationally recognised as a sport. Hopefully the corporate world will step in soon and fully get behind the game. I’d love to think that I helped bring that along.
I noticed the whole Hachem clan is with you in Monte Carlo. How long have been on the road together?
We hit the road end of October. Here’s the funny thing: The last day before I left Australia for the WSOP, I said to my wife, “Honey, if I win, (as in if I win!), I’m going to take the family around the world. And here we are today (laughs).”
Have any of your kids expressed interest in creating a Brunsonesque Australian poker dynasty?
If my kids enjoy the game, and my kids are just as competitive as I am, I’m more than happy to support them
Have you noticed talent amongst them?
My 11-year-old son is a champion. I can’t believe his read of the game. He’s fearless. He has potential to be a really good player.
So you’re family is obviously a very strong grounding for you?
This is all worth nothing without them. I’d give it up tomorrow if anything was going to jeopardise things.
Will you always call Australia home?
It’s so easy to just end up in Vegas. It’s a much harder decision to say, “The U.S. is the epicentre of the poker universe, but Australia is home, and is definitely the best place to bring up my children.” My wife and I have been contemplating this exact issue over the last five months, and we’ve kind of leaned towards the decision that we have to stay in Australia and work out some sort of balance with my travel.
Outside of Australia, where has been your favourite travel destination?
The nicest places I’ve been so far are Monaco and Atlantis, Paradise Island (featured in Gambling.com Magazine, Issue #2). Like I said to your earlier, I’m very grounded with my family, so I’m not into popping bottles of champagne, and extravagant b***s**t. I’d rather spend the night with my kids watching a movie.
How are you feeling as you prepare to defend your WSOP crown?
To be honest, I’m not looking forward to it. It’s going to be so much hard work on a number of levels – even walking through the crowds will be tough. On top of that, I have to try and sit at the table and concentrate with the distraction of fifty flashbulbs going off around me. In Vegas, wherever I sit there’s going to be 10,000 people around me. I understand that most of the attention is from people wanting me to win, but it puts you under so much more pressure.
I then have to deal with the other players at my table. In a big field like the WSOP, most of the players who you initially sit down with are people who got lucky and won a satellite. For them to take out the champ, even if they get knocked out next hand, is a story to tell for the rest of their lives. The pressure of a World Champion trying to do well the following year is enormous. If I get short-stacked early in the tournament, no matter what I do, someone is going to call me. The pressure on me is to try and get in a position where I’ve got some chips and I can play my natural game, because then players will be scared to call me. However, if I’m short to medium-stacked, it’s hasta la vista, baby!
1 comment
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Posted by GamingNut – 14 May 2008, 3:24 AM
Oh my...how did I manage to miss this article until now? It seems like nobody else has commented yet either, so here goes mine! Joe Hachem is quickly becoming one of Pokers biggest rising stars, and with very good reason! I wish him the best with it too :)